X September 2023 -- prospective patch notes

Designer's Notes

Patch goals include:

Smoothing out costs and stats in the wake of the Protoss and Zerg revisions
Adjusting advanced workers to be more relevant in the overall game state
Pulling the trigger on the "shroud piercer" Kinetic Penetration revision
Revising the last of the multi-purpose late-game air units (e.g. Hippogriff) to be more fair in large quantities
Making additional progress on the custom advisor implementation

In tier 2 and beyond, Protoss production structures have had their time costs increased

Stability:
- Fixed a crash related to Demiurges (r. benno & The Shambler, c. DF)
Gameplay:
- Sycophants no longer "donate" shields for free (r. Mystery Meat)
- Ascending corpses now enchants allies instead of enemies
- Cagra spread by Omnivales now correctly recedes when the Omnivale dies (r. Btyb88)
- Fixed default hotkey collisions for Larvosk and Ocsal Cesiants (r. neblime)
AI:
- Fixed request processing for Alkajelisks
- Zerg AI no longer overbuild Ovileths in the early game
Audiovisual:
- Ocsal Cesiant now has a wireframe
- Kills string has been reinstated

Atreus:
- Now has Interception
Sycophant:
- Idolatry no longer procs on allied Sycophants
  - We will attempt to implement this more elegantly later!
Idol:
- Weapon splash radii now 12/18/24, from 12/24/36
Analogue:
- Time cost now 40, from 35
- Cylindrical Blaster weapon re-added, targeting only ground
- Empathy Core:
  - Now drains flat 10 energy per hit taken
  - Retaliation attack is now a phantom strike, dealing half damage
Empress:
- Time cost now 50, from 60
- HP now 200, from 180
Exemplar:
- Gas and time costs now 125/50, from 100/40
- Weapon cooldown now 1.13, from 1.08
Empyrean:
- Armor penetration now 2, from 3
- Weapon splash radii now 12/24/36, from 12/24/48
Strident Stratum:
- Mineral and gas costs now 250/150, from 200/200
- HP now 400, from 450
Engram:
- Weapon splash radii now 12/24/36, from 24/36/48
Grand Library:
- Time cost now 50, from 45
Rogue Gallery:
- Time cost now 50, from 45
Prostration Stage:
- Time cost now 60, from 50
Ancestral Archives:
- Time cost now 70, from 60
Ardent Authority:
- Time cost now 55, from 45
Synthetic Synod:
- Time cost now 70, from 60
- HP now 850, from 750
Argosy:
- Time cost now 60, from 50
NEW: Potentate:
- Flexible supportive ranger; trained from Prostration Stage

Mortothrokor:
- Now moves ~7.5% faster
- Whetted Appetite:
  - Now increases lifesteal
  - No longer increases movement speed
Alkajelisk:
- Now moves ~22% faster
- Weapon range now 8, from 10